How does it work - requestLocationUpdates() + LocationRequest/Listener

Question

I am new Android coder and I have problem with requesting updates for my localization.

I working with tutorials from http://developer.android.com/training/location/receive-location-updates.html .

My application can handle exceptions, getting latitude and longitute properly, and geocoder can handle displaying the adress. But I ask for location only once - or when location changes. I would like to do time intervals. For now I started implementing code from the tutorials and it looks like that:

public class MainActivity extends Activity implements 
GooglePlayServicesClient.ConnectionCallbacks,
GooglePlayServicesClient.OnConnectionFailedListener,
LocationListener {

private static final int MILLISECONDS_PER_SECOND = 1000;

public static final int UPDATE_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS = 5;
private static final long UPDATE_INTERVAL =
          MILLISECONDS_PER_SECOND * UPDATE_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS;

private static final int FASTEST_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS = 1;
private static final long FASTEST_INTERVAL =
          MILLISECONDS_PER_SECOND * FASTEST_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS;

private TextView tvStatus;
private TextView tvLatitude;
private TextView tvLongitude;

LocationRequest mLocationRequest;
LocationClient mLocationClient;
Location mCurrentLocation;

boolean bNetworkEnabled;
boolean bGPSEnabled;

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    tvStatus = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.tvStatus);
    tvLatitude = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.tvLatitude);
    tvLongitude = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.tvLongitude);

    mLocationRequest = LocationRequest.create();
    mLocationRequest.setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY);
    mLocationRequest.setInterval(UPDATE_INTERVAL);
    mLocationRequest.setFastestInterval(FASTEST_INTERVAL);
    mLocationClient = new LocationClient(this, this, this);

    checkProviders();
}

So there are already intervals implemented and location request. But in the link I gave before there is a comment that I should use somewhere requestLocationUpdates() (probably onCreate(), onStart() and removal of request on onStop()), but I have problem with it. So, Eclipse shows me 3 methods:

requestLocationUpdates(LocationRequest request, LocationListener listener)
requestLocationUpdates(LocationRequest request, PendingIntent CallbackIntent)
requestLocationUpdates(LocationRequest request, LocationListener listener, Looper looper)

So the first one I think is most right in this place. What should I place in LocationListener slot? I ask for help with little explanation how it works.

United

Answer 1

You are implementing LocationListener in your activity MainActivity. The call for concurrent location updates will therefor be like this:

mLocationClient.requestLocationUpdates(mLocationRequest, this);

Be sure that the LocationListener you're implementing is from the google api, that is import this:

import com.google.android.gms.location.LocationListener;

and not this:

import android.location.LocationListener;

and it should work just fine.

It's also important that the LocationClient really is connected before you do this. I suggest you don't call it in the onCreate or onStart methods, but in onResume. It is all explained quite well in the tutorial for Google Location Api: https://developer.android.com/training/location/index.html

Augmented

So I know requestLocationUpdates will return Location to the PendingIntent but where can I access the returned location? – Wingard

To call this request you need a class to implement LocationUpdates. This implementation has the method OnLocationChanged(Location location). This is where you access the location returned. public class MyLocationListener implements LocationListener {...} – Boyse

Answer 2

I use this one:

LocationManager.requestLocationUpdates(String provider, long minTime, float minDistance, LocationListener listener)

For example, using a 1s interval:

locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER,1000,0,this);

the time is in milliseconds, the distance is in meters.

This automatically calls:

public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
    //Code here, location.getAccuracy(), location.getLongitude() etc...
}

I also had these included in the script but didnt actually use them:

public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {}
public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {}
public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {}

In short:

public class GPSClass implements LocationListener {

    public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
        // Called when a new location is found by the network location provider.
        Log.i("Message: ","Location changed, " + location.getAccuracy() + " , " + location.getLatitude()+ "," + location.getLongitude());
    }

    public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {}
    public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {}
    public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {}

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        locationManager = (LocationManager)getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
        locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER,1000,0,this);
    }
}

Contemptible

Distance is always meters. – Jovial

It does not automatically run. The onLocationChanged is called when the location changes. And that in some cases takes time – Templet

@JimmyKane I set the min distance to 0 and the update interval works as expected. When the min distance is higher the location update won't be triggered if that distance threshold isn't crossed. That's the way I understand it. – Gault